March for Ukraine in Nenagh

The Ukrainian community in Nenagh is asking people to stand in solidarity with them this month on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of their country.

A march is planned through the town centre on Saturday, February 22. It will depart from Nenagh Railway Station and finish at Banba Square where a number of speakers will address those gathered, among them Ukrainians who have made Nenagh their home in the last three years after fleeing the war.

Inna Varytska, Ukrainian Refugee Support Worker with North Tipperary Development Company, said the purpose of the march is to “remind Ireland and the world that this war is far from over, and we cannot allow Ukraine and its people to be forgotten.

“This march is a call to honour the memory of innocent civilians, children, and soldiers who have lost their lives, and to emphasise the urgent need for continued international support for Ukraine to stop the aggressor and restore justice.”

FUTURE UNCERTAINTY

There are presently around 350 Ukrainians living in the Nenagh area. Most have successfully integrated into Irish society since their arrival here, many of them finding employment, enrolling their children in schools, and building strong community ties.

However, Inna expressed concern over the situation facing many of them due to the expiration of contracts between a number of local accommodation providers and the Government.

“The relocation from designated accommodation centres has posed serious challenges, as private accommodation in Nenagh remains extremely limited,” she said. “Many Ukrainians are deeply concerned about being moved to other towns, as restarting the integration process in a new place would be extremely difficult.”

Even though the European Council extended the Temporary Protection status for Ukrainians until March 2026, Inna – who came to Nenagh in mid-2022 – said there is still uncertainty regarding pathways to becoming an Irish citizen through naturalisation. “This lack of clarity makes it difficult for Ukrainians to plan for their future in Ireland, leading to growing concerns about long-term stability and the ability to continue their integration process,” she said.

Olena Arkhanhelska, who fled the war in April 2022, said some who have arrived here from the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine have begun exploring mortgage opportunities in Nenagh because they have no prospect of returning to their homeland.

“Some people have started thinking about it because nobody knows what will happen,” she said. “How to live? Where to live if you have nowhere to go back to in Ukraine? You have to think about the future.”

‘THE WAR HAS TO STOP’

Olena comes from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine - scene of some of the most ferocious fighting since World War II - now in Russian hands. She wants the upcoming march to remind people that the war is ongoing.

“The main goal of this march is to attract people's attention that the war has to stop, because we speak about the end of the war, but it doesn't stop,” she said.

“It has to stop. People should stop dying and children should have the right to go back and see their fathers or their grandparents, who are still in Ukraine. They [displaced families] are still in Ireland because it is still too dangerous to come back to Ukraine because they can be killed at any moment.

“There is a big community of Ukrainians in Nenagh and we are altogether, we are united and we show that we want peace. We are a peaceful nation. This will be a peaceful march.”

She described the mood of people in Ukraine as “tired”. This is reflected in those who have come to Ireland, confounded by the uncertainty of the future of their country.

“They hope something will change,” Olena said of her people back home. “Nobody knows what will happen. Those families here in Ireland keep in touch with their relatives who stay in Ukraine. They just check the news every morning to see what happened, what is destroyed.”

NENAGH WELCOME

Olena spoke highly of the level of support her people have received in Ireland over the last three years. The welcome they have received in Nenagh remains steadfast and has helped the refugees to integrate with the local community.

She has helped with that integration in many ways. She used to work as an English teacher in Ukraine and her excellent grasp of the language enabled her to explain Irish laws and customs to her countryfolk and point them in the direction of supports.

Now Olena is Child & Youth Project Worker with Unity Youth Hub, a very successful programme for refugee children and young people living in the Nenagh area. It is run by the Nenagh-based Silver Arch Family Resource Centre.

She works with around 90 youths made up of nine nationalities, many of them African, as well as Ukrainian, Syrian, Iranian and Palestinian.

Olena furthermore helped to start up a weekly Orthodox service in Nenagh. Assisted by the Red Cross, she found accommodation for a priest and his family. It is held every Sunday at Riverlane off Kenyon St, where the ‘Welcome Nenagh Café’ support service for new arrivals meets monthly.

Olena talks about setting up a Ukrainian school in Nenagh, one that would uphold pupils' Ukrainian identity and teach subjects through their mother tongue. She relays stories of pupils struggling with the likes of maths, not because of the subject itself but because they don't understand the way it is taught.

MARCH DETAILS

The march on February 22 will set out from the railway station at 11am. Participants will proceed along Kenyon St, Mitchel St and Sarsfield St, turning at Centra to arrive at Banba Square via Ashe Road. Road closures will be in effect.

Around 200 people turned out at Banba Square in solidarity with Ukraine when the war started in 2022. The organisers of this month's march are hoping for a much greater attendance, and are inviting people to bring Ukrainian flags and posters as a show of support.